Hi All,

posting because I found the issue behind a problem that has frustrated me for about three months, and I see a lot of posts about similar issues but no real resolutions...

For a long time my car was hesitating through the rev range, difficult to start, idling rough, had sluggish throttle response and sometimes cutting out like when the idle control valve needs replacing.

It was as if I had dirty injectors, dodgy coils, duff ICV and unreliable MAP/MAF/Throttle position/knock sensors all at the same time - incredibly frustrating.

I eventually found the problem to be the fuel pump - not because it was completely dead, but because it was putting out only 0.7bar pressure, instead of the necessary 2.5/3.0!

So for anyone who has these issues check your fuel pump output - they die slowly

An easy way to do this is to remove the rubbery-plastic cover underneath the drivers-side rear seat, remove the fuel output line, squidge a piece of 6mm/8mm ID silicone/other hose onto the connection and secure it with a small jubilee clip (borrow one from the engine bay).
Then fit the other end of you piece of hose to a pressure gauge, be it a tyre pressure gauge or a simple water pressure gauge you can buy from a hardware store or swimming pool supply distributor (I can supply these if necessary).

Then turn the key to aux 2, and the pump will pressurise and you can see your pressure.

Obv' be careful with petrol at >50psi - don't have a bloody fag while you're at it

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Feelin so fly like a Gti6
Team >160,000mi